Date of Award

Summer 2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Department

Psychology

Committee Chairperson

Erin Hill, PhD

Committee Member

Deanne Zotter, PhD

Committee Member

Kristen Breit, PhD

Abstract

Food and alcohol disturbance (FAD) is a behavior pattern that involves calorie restriction and/or compensation in the context of alcohol use (Choquette et al., 2018). FAD comprises of four dimensions (alcohol effects, bulimia, dietary restraint and exercise, and restriction) The present study aimed to examine the dimensions of FAD in relation to alcohol-related sexual behavior (ARSB) among college undergraduates. Additionally, a moderation variable, body esteem (weight esteem and appearance esteem), was included to determine if the correlation between FAD and ARSB was strengthened if one experienced low weight or appearance esteem. In total, this study included 434 undergraduate students enrolled in Psychology 100 (Introduction to Psychology) and Psychology 120 (Multicultural Psychology) from West Chester University’s participant pool. In an online survey, they completed several measures including Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), the Compensatory Eating and Behaviors in Response to Alcohol Consumption Scale (CEBRACS), Risky Sexual Activities Scale (CARE-R-2), Body Esteem Scale for Adolescents and Adults (BESAA), a FAD Descriptive and Injunctive Norms measure, and background questions on sex and relationships, drinking, and health. Six hypotheses were tested in this study with only the correlations between the FAD dimensions and ARSB being significant (hypotheses 1-4 were supported). The moderating variable did not significantly impact the correlation between FAD and ARSB and therefore, hypotheses 5 and 6 were not supported in this study (i.e., lower body esteem did not strengthen the relationship between FAD and ARSB). The outcome of this study indicates the importance of addressing these behaviors at the collegiate level due to the possible consequences associated with engaging in alcohol misuse and alcohol-related sexual behavior including jeopardizing mental, physical, and sexual well-being.

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